Bangladesh finished day three with a 30-run lead and eight wickets in hand before bad light stopped play in the rain-hit second and final Test match between the hosts and New Zealand in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Friday.
The second day's play was abandoned without a ball bowled after a wicket-filled opening day where a total of 15 wickets fell, including 13 taken by the spinners.
Although there was no rain, there was no action in the first session due to the wet outfield.
Play finally resumed on day three following lunch after four sessions were washed out because of rain in Dhaka in the past couple of days.
New Zealand started day three on 55/5 with Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell the not out batsmen and trailing Bangladesh by 117 runs.
Phillips started scoring crucial runs with an attacking approach from the beginning.
Bangladesh struck back with the wickets of Mitchell (18) and Mitchell Santner (one) but Phillips looked good at the other end.
The right-hander formed a vital 55-run partnership with Kyle Jamieson for the eight wicket to help the Black Caps get close to Bangladesh’s first innings total.
Shoriful Islam took two important wickets in his spell as he dismissed both Jamieson (20) and Phillips (87).
Phillips hit nine fours and four sixes in his enterprising 72-ball knock.
Taijul Islam wrapped up the innings with Tim Southee’s (14) wicket but New Zealand took an eight-run lead in the end.
Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taijul bagged three wickets each, while Shoriful and Nayeem Hasan notched two apiece.
In reply, Bangladesh lost the wicket of Mahmudul Hasan Joy (two) in the third ball of the second innings as skipper Southee deployed Ajaz Patel and Santner as the opening bowlers.
Bangladesh batters also looked to score quick runs on this wicket which appeared tough to bat on amid gloomy condition in Mirpur.
Captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto was dismissed in the fifth ball of the eighth over when he tried to play an off-drive against Southee.
But it was uppish and Kane Williamson took a regulation catch at mid-off region.
Mominul Haque faced just one ball before on-field umpires stopped play due to bat light around 3:40pm local time.
Eventually the day’s proceedings were called off as only 32 overs of play was possible in the rain-hit day three.
Zakir Hasan (16) is not out at one end while the unbeaten Mominul just faced one ball.
2ND TEST, DAY 3
Bangladesh 172 & 38/2 in 8 overs (Zakir 16*, Shanto 15) lead New Zealand 180 in 37.1 overs (Phillips 87, Miraz 3/53) by 30 runs
